The Making of a "Butt Print" :)

I have been working on my house here and there, when it is too dark outside to be in the greenhouse.  I am desperately waiting for spring to come, but while she takes her sweet time showing up, I will continue to work on my home.  Today I am going to share one of the junkin’ projects I have been working on.

 I had purchased a couple of wooden chairs to use around the dining room table that I recently made out of an old wooden door.
 


This one was painted white…and did not look quite right with my dining room décor….so I thought maybe I would try to do a little Tootsie Touch up on it. 

I had tried to paint it with some latex paint, and HATED it.  I think I would have rather had it plain white than have it looking the way it did.   I didn’t take any photos of the first attempt, as I was too busy freaking out at the horrible job that I had done!  (yep…I screwed it right up. )   This would have been a great post to use as an example of how easy it is to change it after you paint and it doesn’t turn out quite the way you saw it in your imagination…except that in my panic, I forgot to snap some photos!   You guys are creative…you can use your imaginations.

 

I primed it out….I just LOVE primer…it is like a super strength eraser.  It will make all the bad and ugly things, just go away!



This is what I want my chair to look like when I finish working on it.   I love the worn and aged look of this one.  I bought it a while ago, and it looks good with my table.   I decided that am going to try my hand at replicating this look!

Shall we get started????




After the primer dried, I took some stain and got busy applying it to the chair.  I am not applying much stain to the areas that would be naturally worn.   That part will come later on.   I made a “butt print” and tried to make places on the chair that would have been naturally worn over time.



Once the first layer of stain was completely dry…I applied a final coat of stain…using a little darker color.  I went over the entire chair with the darker stain and made sure none of the primer was left to show.   I then waited for the piece to dry.

If you look closely you can see the next piece of the dining room furniture that I am going to tackle in the back ground!



Here is the inspiration chair…



Here is my version…



I think I might have almost gotten the look!  I know my “butt print” is a little less than perfect, but I think it turned out quite nicely over all.



Here are both my wooden chairs together.   I had a hard time taking photos of them…they always ended up with a few shadows or shine from the sun or lamps.   I think that they look good together…MUCH better than before! 

What do you think?   Can you pick out mine?  :)

Have you ever tried to replicate a time worn look?  How did it turn out?

I can’t wait to show you the chairs in place at the dining room table…but will wait until after the last piece that I am working on is finished…and you can see the entire project all finished up!

Until Next Time... Happy Decorating/ Creating/ Painting!

*)*)*) There are three types of people in this world.  Those who make things happen, Those who watch things happen, and Those who wonder what the hell happened.  Which one do you strive to be?

(¯`v´¯)
`*.¸.*´Glenda/Tootsie
¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`•.
www.tootsietime.com

I Hit That Nail Right On The Head....Of The Table?

Well hello there!  So Glad you you could stop by for a few minutes to see what I am up to!

I decided that it has been a while since I gave myself a paint hangover, and thought I would maybe work on a project or two while the kids are away for the weekend.   Not to mention that I found a new color of stain that I have never used and am just dying to try it out!  It is called Brazilian Rosewood...and I think it could be fun!

Since I haven’t been out junkin’ in ages, my selection here is down to the slimmest of pickin’s.   My choice for today’s project is going to be the coffee table for the family room downstairs.  I have been slowly but surely getting that room all set up and cozy…it is taking a while, but it is starting to come together.  The new coffee table really needed some help…



Told ya it needed help.   This is definitely NOT a Tootsie style piece of furniture!
Please try not to notice the ick behind the table...it is a mish mash of cords and stuff that I need to properly place in this room...
...hey...I'm workin' on it...I am only one girl...and my imagination sometimes sleeps a bit! :)




It is boring and plain, and kinda beat up. It came to us with that Cowboy I talk about all the time.



I am sure that with a little imagination and some elbow grease, this table will be Tootsiefied in no time!
Lets get to work!



I layed out my painting tarp…since I don’t have a garage yet, I still am forced to do all the dirty work in the house…so I need to protect the floor.  
I sanded it lightly to help remove any of the “shiny” that would deter the new finish from sticking.
Next….I primed it out.



I didn’t prime the entire piece…Only the part I wanted to use a lighter color of paint on.  I plan to leave the base and legs black…I will simply use a high gloss oil based paint on them so I need not worry about the paint sticking.



Once the primer was nice and dry, I grabbed a couple of cans of stain and got to work!  
My first color was Brazilian Rosewood.  It is pretty but left me with a little hint of purple/mauve almost…so I did what any good Tootsie would do…I grabbed the Dark Walnut and went right over it!  



It turns out that the two colors together make for a very nice effect!  See???   Those are the happy accidents that a one of a kind piece of furniture is made of!  :) 

Next…I needed to add a little “map” that will guide me in my finishing of this table.  I used a ruler and I drew myself a little border all the way around the table.



There’s a close up of my edge guide line.   I just know you are wondering WHAT on earth I am going to do with an ugly line….  Aren’t ya?  



I am going to use upholstery nails!   I need the guide line to help make sure I get them as straight as I possibly can!



I nailed and nailed and nailed…and let me just add, it is NOT easy to put upholstery nails in a straight line…when the stain isn’t dry yet!   Yes…I got impatient and excited…and I struggled more than just a little to get them in place…but it got done and now…



…now... I think...
I think it needs something more!   That one skinny little line is simply not enough.  It needs more bulk…and perhaps a little motion…don’t you think?



Ya…I agree…it needs MORE NAILS!



This is “okay”… but Tootsie doesn’t settle for “okay”…HEY…I am no minimalist in any way shape or form…it is all the way…more is more…go big or go home…
So, I set to work laying out nails in different patterns, standing back and looking …



…at them and finally I settled on a plan for the table. 



AHHH….now that’s much better!



What do you think?   I like it.  I think the adding of the shapes gives it some motion…some “curves”…some FUN!



I considered adding some of the upholstery nails to the center of the table as well…but then decided against it…just in case we play a game on here or something like that…the kids like to build puzzles and things down here…



… I DO plan to put some ornament of some kind on it once the paint is 100 % cured! When have you EVER seen this Tootsie leave a table empty!?! Ya…
…you know exactly what I am talking about. :)



I am loving the new look for this old table.   It doesn’t look like a mass production plain Jane table anymore.



It no longer looks like a boring, typical, inexpensive space filler…left over from the living room of a bachelor…(sorry Cowboy…but your table…was a little too boring for this gal)



…now it has some personality…style and one of a kind pizazz!



What do you think?



I think I like it…for now…ha ha…and I also think that the Cowboy better not try to take it back if he knows what’s good for him!   This table is now property of…TOOTISE.  (at least till I get sick of it)  :)



Well kids…that’s all for me for today.  I did what I set out to do…I took and evening, did up a project, I gave myself a HUGE paint hangover, and I shared it all with you!  
What did you do last night?

Until Next Time, Happy Decorating / Designing / Junkin’/ painting!

*)*)*)  I am strong .. because I've been weak ... I am fearless .. because I've been afraid ... I am wise .. because I've been foolish ...

(¯`v´¯)
`*.¸.*´Glenda/Tootsie
¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`•.
www.tootsietime.com

I am linking in with Share your Cup Thursday today!  

Chicken Coop Curtains - Tootsie Style

After the move, I had to re-think pretty much everything in my house.  The windows are NO exception to this problem. 

Those of you who have been reading me for a while know that I could not sew if my life was on the line...so I have to be creative with my window treatments...or let them look like they came from a big box store.   I refuse to be typical...so I choose to be creative.

My youngest daughter has a fairly large window in her bedroom.  I did not want to get rid of her pretty sheer curtains that she had, so I had to modify my design to make them work with her new window dimensions.

Simply hanging the curtains without a valance worked at our other house, but definitely NOT in this house.



The curtains look “okay”…but they are just not quite what I wanted to see…so I got to scheming…and trying to come up with a new look for them.

One night I was browsing around the internet and I came across some adorable curtains made out of chicken wire.  I loved the look of them…but didn’t want to have the same thing…no copy cat here!   I kept on looking…but could not get those curtains out of my head…nor could I find them again to look at!  So…I have to thank my inspiration person from here…”thank you who ever you are for the inspiration!”

With the inspiration of that elusive post  still fresh in my mind, I decided to make my own Tootsie version of those curtains.

I pulled out my roll of chicken wire…and grabbed a couple of gauzy window panels and started to work.  I cut myself some of the chicken wire to fit the window and folded it in half to make it the right size for my plan.




I then started ripping strips of fabric and weaving them in and out of the chicken wire.




I wanted the valance that I was making to be “imperfect” and look a little frayed…so I added a little more detail with some purple pieces ripped and frayed to add a little “shabby” to the whole thing. 
After several hours of weaving and ripping and tying little pieces onto the chicken wire…My masterpiece was complete!




I hung the valance onto the existing curtains with a couple of curtain clips (it is really light weight) and ripped a couple more strips to use as ties on the sheers.

“Busy” absolutely LOVES them now!



I am far from finished in this room…but the window is off to a very good start.  The purple in the valance pulls the purple in her bed spread quilt out nicely!  I have ideas for that bed…and a few other little projects  that I would like to find time to work on in the near future.  In other words…you haven’t seen the last of this bedroom!

 Stay tuned…one of these day’s I will find time…and this room will get Tootsiefied completely.

So?   What do you think?   Do you like the Tootsie Coop look?  ha ha ha!

Until Next Time…Happy Decorating!

*)*)*)  Maybe things don't happen TO us. Maybe things happen FOR us, to make a choice, to decide how we live through the trials and tribulations in life.

(¯`v´¯)
`*.¸.*´Glenda/Tootsie
¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`•.
www.tootsietime.com

I am linking in today with the following:
Fabulously Creative Friday
Frugalicious Friday
Inspiration Gallery
Be Inspired

~~Use The Back Door Please!~~

So…I have been working on the renovations in my house … slow but sure…I have done a lot so far…There are little hints of Tootsie EVERYWHERE in here…EXCEPT…the porch at the back door. 
I have avoided this area…like it was the plague.  I did hang a few things on the wall in the stairwell a few months back…but lost the urge after that.   I just had NO inspiration when it came to this utilitarian area.

Didn’t I say it was UGLY???
When we renovated the kitchen, we moved the wall out into this area just a foot or so and now I need to put up bead board on that wall. There used to be a huge closet type thing there with shelves.   It was more important to have that space in the kitchen…so we took it out.
This area is just so ugly that I could hardly stand to do the bead board!  ha ha

When we renovated the kitchen, we moved the wall out into this area just a foot or so and now I need to put up bead board on that wall. This area is just so ugly that I could hardly stand to do it! ha ha    But, alas, I did..and it helped a lot.

Next up…the floor.  Ya..it’s bad…very very BAD.

These tiles remind me of the old school I went to when I was in grade school…it also makes me think of the old wing of the prison I worked at when I was in College.

There is no way I am removing the old tile…the warning on them that I read online said there could be asbestos and other bad things in them that could harm us if they were removed…we didn’t know that when we removed the ones off the stairs…oops.
  I had a LOT of help that night.   :)
So…I just opted for something simple.  Grey peel and stick tiles seemed simple enough.  I got busy and put them down.

Then I did the rest of the tiles with the peel and stick. 
Sadly…I did not take a photo of this part.   ugh…where I my brain?
I got all that work done, and painted the back door deep red.   And that is how it stayed for a long while…until just recently, I had run out of steam.
Christmas came and went…and I ended up with a slight case of pneumonia.  I was stuck in bed for almost a week…(and that nearly drove me nuts)  
What does a Tootsie do when she is stuck on bed rest???   SHE PLANS ALL SORTS OF THINGS FOR WHEN SHE IS HEALTHY!
Take a look at it now!

I had this old door with a broken window kicking around in the shed…and an ugly spot to fill beside the back door…so…what’s a girl to do???   SHE USES HER JUNK!
I added an iron table…and a few little accessories…then turned my attention to the bead board wall.  It was just too plain when left empty…and I don’t DO plain!

The wall just needed a little bit of the good stuff…ya…it needed some JUNK.

This little corner looks warm and inviting now.  There is a shoe tray on the floor below the window…and when I am finished with the other side of the porch, I will share that I hung a coat rack and some other goodies… but that is a whole other post…and I am not done with it yet.
What?!!!   I have pneumonia people!…be patient with me!

For right now, I am just tickled pink with the way this little two hour project turned out.  I still need to paint the whole room…but I wanted to make sure that I didn’t have extra holes to fill…lol   Putting things in place in advance is always my best plan…just in case of a misguided nail hole or something of the sort.

I hung a floating shelf thing and added an old insulator, an empty frame and a pretty wooden tray.

The old window sports some ivy and a doily or two.  The rusty door plate with key in it adds a little dimension and color.   No room is complete with out a little rust …right?

The only issue I have with the whole situation right now is the plug in.  It’s ugly…but I need it…I use it a lot, so it has to stay available…which means DEAL WITH IT TOOTSIE!

The other floating shelf sports a fake plant.  There is not enough light in here for one of my real babies…so I opt here and there for the faux variety.

I popped a big iron key in the middle of the missing window, and this part of the room is done!
I still need to paint the whole room…but I wanted to make sure that I didn’t have extra holes to fill…lol Putting things in place in advance is always my best plan…just in case of a misguided nail hole or something of the sort.   I also have a bit of work to do on the other half of it, so you will be seeing this space again…in it’s entirety when I finally am able to finish up and paint!
Until then, I leave you with one last shot…

**  don't forget to keep reading...there are several more posts below of what I have been doing...including some great how-to's!**

Until Next Time…Happy Decorating!

*)*)*)  to love someone is nothing, but to be loved by the one you love is everything .

(¯`v´¯)
`*.¸.*´Glenda/Tootsie
¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`•.
www.tootsietime.com

today I am linking into We Call It Olde Link Up If you haven't been there...You really should pop in!